NOVEMBER 2020 YOUNGER PEOPLE IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE amy sheridan for shelter nsw student internship report Prepared by: Amy Sheridan for Shelter NSW Level 1, 241 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000 0 1
[email protected] +612 9267 5733 AMY SHERIDAN SHELTER NSW STUDENT REPORT – YOUNGER PEOPLE IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE This report was developed over a 600-hour work placement by Amy Sheridan who was undertaking her master’s in social work. It was developed for the use of Shelter N.S.W. and outlines the Australian issue of younger people living in Residential Aged Care (RAC) facilities. This report will provide a summary of the background of this issue and explain who some of these younger people are and why they ended up in RAC. The Australian system will be contextualized amongst some international examples, and some of the main funding options and issues will be explored. Finally, this report will analyse the reasons why RAC is inappropriate for younger people, and in closing, present some of the ways forward in responding to this issue, through pathways like housing, education and community. Background In 2019, Australia had 6048 people under the age of 65 living in RAC facilities, with an average admission rate of 42 people per week (Summer Foundation, 2019). These are people who have entered RAC due to a lack of appropriate high care facilities that can cater to their requirements as they experience intellectual, physical, psychological, or sensory disabilities (Dyer et al., 2019, p. 23). Many of these people acquired their disability during early adulthood and 80% never leave RAC once admitted (Summer Foundation, 2019, p.